What comes to mind when you think about strategic planning? Does it invoke memories of rich discussions of possibilities and dreams to invigorate your organization? Maybe you think of being relegated to a conference room for hours on end, justifying operational and program costs. These days, the traditional strategic planning workshop of the past is being left in the dust for a faster, more flexible and built-for-impact version.

In my executive director days, I remember workshops that convened in a boardroom on a Saturday. I could only look out the window, trapped in the drudgery of a preset process. Our organization would be left with a document that would land on a dark shelf, only to collect dust until the next planning session.

Regardless of past experiences, we are approaching a time when many nonprofits engage in strategic planning to envision the future over the next few years.

I submit that modern strategic planning matters more now than ever before, especially considering the current environment nonprofits are operating in. Volatile funding, rapid technological changes and competition for skilled staff and engaged volunteers create a high-stress environment. But with a fresher approach, a clear plan transforms uncertainty into impact.

At Amperage, we continually review our strategic planning process for nonprofit leadership to get to the heart of their challenges, self-sabotaging beliefs and potential for future wins. We focus on a data-driven approach that incorporates research and feasibility, one-on-one interviews with key decision-makers, surveys of organizational stakeholders and a strategic planning workshop that fuses inspiration with strategic action. As a team of creatives and fundraisers, we paint a clear picture of sustainability and growth, then show the organization how to tell their story in a needle-moving way.

Here are some tips that help us ensure a dynamic strategic plan:

• Use an independent facilitator. It’s best to have someone facilitate the process who doesn’t have skin in the game. Biases that impact outcomes can surface if an internal member leads strategic planning.
• Keep it short and simple. Create a plan of action in a few pages rather than the old binder teeming with documentation.
• Make it action oriented. Lay out strategies for improvement in clear, realistic steps with deadlines and owners.
• Emphasize flexibility. Consider the plan as a living document that requires regular review and quarterly updating. Focus on the three-year plan rather than the long-term five years, and refresh it annually to keep it relevant.
• Involve key members early. Collect insights from various stakeholders prior to the workshop and writing the plan.
• Build in accountability without fear. Set progress check-ins for wins and gaps. Keep milestones and metrics realistic, not just numbers for funders.
• Integrate the plan with fundraising and storytelling. Express how the plan makes the case for future funding and emphasizes a clear direction to build donor trust.
• Respect nonprofit culture. Recognize the heft and urgency of day-to-day responsibilities. Streamline existing policies and procedures that seem clumsy and inefficient.
• Build in early wins. Set goals that can be accomplished in the next three to six months to start building morale and momentum.

Recently, we collaborated with an organization that recognized the need to address some key issues hindering their growth and success. We interviewed, surveyed and workshopped to a plan that outlined the highest-priority steps leading to the most dynamic improvements. After the workshop, I heard comments like, “That was actually fun!” and “I feel like I know what we need to do now.” So, getting to the point and cutting out the extra made all the difference.

Bottom line: If your plan is sitting on a dark shelf, it’s time to focus on a process that is meaningful in content, manageable in size and methodical, providing clear steps to reach sustainability, growth and success. Reshaping our past impressions of strategic planning into plans that make sense for today is where it’s at.  

Author Amy Guardado, MSL, is a fundraising adviser for Amperage Marketing + Fundraising with expertise in fundraising, development and building cultures of philanthropy.